amadou

noun

a spongy substance made from certain fungi, such as Polyporus (or Fomes) fomentarius and related species, used as tinder to light fires, in medicine to stop bleeding, and, esp formerly, by anglers to dry off dry flies between casts

Word Origin for amadou

C18: from French, from Provençal: lover, from Latin amātor, from amāre to love; so called because it readily ignites